The man who lived in the desert
had never seen a world full of green promise.
The man who lived in the rainforest
had never seen the sun-burnt-out grass.
The man who lived on icy planes so white
kept his eyes half-closed to protect his sight.
The man who lived in the dark cave
kept torches burning to light his way.
Until now.
Now, that the ice has melted,
the cave has flooded,
roots rot green fields, soil turned to clay,
and winds blow the desert away.
Across the planet men are in dismay.
Now, each man is on the move
looking for a new safe place.
Earth trembles beneath the feet
of so many on the move.
Too many play ring-around-the rosy days of yore
until we all fall down.
There is no going back.
There is only today.
annarino writes 